Veronica plant named &#39;allvglove&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Veronica  plant named ‘Allvglove’, characterized by its upright plant habit; freely flowering habit; dense inflorescences with numerous purple violet-colored flowers; early flowering habit and long flowering period; and suitability as a garden or container plant.

Botanical designation: Veronica longifolia×Veronica spicata

Cultivar denomination: ‘ALLVGLOVE’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Veronicaplant, botanically known as Veronica longifolia×Veronica spicata andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Allvglove’.

The new Veronica plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rijswijk, The Netherlands. The objective ofthe breeding program is to create new compact and attractive Veronicaplants with good garden performance.

The new Veronica plant originated from a cross-pollination of Veronicalongifolia ‘Alllove’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,478, as thefemale, or seed, parent with Veronica longifolia ‘Alllord’, disclosed inU.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,294, as the male, or pollen, parent. The newVeronica plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a singleflowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollinationin a controlled environment in Rijswijk, The Netherlands on Jun. 12,2015.

Asexual reproduction of the new Veronica plant by vegetative cuttings ina controlled environment in Rijswijk, The Netherlands, since July, 2015has shown that the unique features of this new Veronica plant are stableand reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Veronica have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Allvglove’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Allvglove’ as a new and distinct Veronicaplant:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.    -   2. Freely flowering habit.    -   3. Dense inflorescences with numerous purple violet-colored        flowers.    -   4. Long flowering period.    -   5. Suitable as a garden or container plant.

Plants of the new Veronica differ primarily from plants of the femaleparent, ‘Alllove’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Veronica and ‘Alllove’ differ in flower        color as plants of ‘Alllove’ have intense red purple-colored        flowers.    -   2. Flowers of plants of the new Veronica are more slender than        flowers of ‘Alllove’.

Plants of the new Veronica differ primarily from plants of the maleparent, ‘Alllord’, in flower color as plants of ‘Alllord’ haveblue-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Veronica can be compared to plants of Veronicalongifolia ‘Allsurprise’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Rijswijk, The Netherlands, plants of the new Veronicadiffer primarily from plants of ‘Allsurprise’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Inflorescences of plants of the new Veronica are symmetrical        whereas inflorescences of ‘Allsurprise’ are deformed.    -   2. Plants of the new Veronica and ‘Allsurprise’ differ in flower        color as plants of ‘Allsurprise’ have dark blue-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the Veronica plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Veronica plant. The photograph on the first sheetcomprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of‘Allvglove’. The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-upview of typical inflorescences of ‘Allvglove’. The photograph at thebottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of the upper surface of atypical leaf of ‘Allvglove’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following descriptionwere grown during the summer in ground beds in an outdoor nursery inRijswijk, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical ofcommercial Veronica production. During the production of the plants, daytemperatures ranged from 15° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures rangedfrom 6° C. to 18° C. Plants were four months old when the photographsand the description were taken. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Veronica longifolia×Veronica spicata    ‘Allvglove’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Veronica longifolia ‘Alllove’,            disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,478.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Veronica longifolia ‘Alllord’,            disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,294.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About one to two weeks at            temperatures ranging from 12° C. to 30° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 28 to 32            days at temperatures ranging from 12° C. to 30° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fleshy; typically white in color,            actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate            composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,            substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Plant and growth habit.—Broadly upright inverted triangle;            freely basal branching habit with about five main stems            developing per plant; moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 43 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 29.9 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 21.5 cm. Diameter:            About 4 mm. Internode length: About 4.1 cm. Strength:            Strong. Aspect: Main stems, mostly upright to outwardly            leaning. Texture and luster: Densely pubescent; matte.            Color: Close to between 143B and 144A.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 8 cm.        -   Width.—About 3.7 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate to narrowly ovate; slightly carinate.        -   Apex.—Bluntly acute.        -   Base.—Truncate.        -   Margin.—Finely serrate.        -   Texture and luster, upper surface.—Moderately to densely            pubescent; slightly glossy.        -   Texture and luster, lower surface.—Moderately to densely            pubescent; very slightly glossy.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 144A. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137A to N137B;            venation, close to 147C to 147D. Fully expanded leaves,            lower surface: Close to 146A; venation, close to 144A.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm to 4 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color, upper            surface: Close to 137C. Color, lower surface: Close to 144A            to 144B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Single campanulate flowers            arranged on dense terminal and axillary racemes; flowers            face mostly outwardly.        -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with about 300            flowers developing per inflorescence and about 1,400 flowers            developing per plant during the flowering season.        -   Fragrance.—Faint; somewhat moldy.        -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period; plants            flower continuously from mid-June to late September in The            Netherlands.        -   Flower longevity as a cut flower.—About ten days; flowers            not persistent.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About 30 days; flowers not            persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Shape: Ovate. Color: Close to N78B.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 12.7 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.6 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 7 mm.        -   Flower height.—About 1 cm.        -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five in a single whorl;            petals fused about 42.5% of the length from the base.            Length: About 7 mm. Width: About 3 mm to 4 mm. Shape:            Obovate. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color:            When opening, upper surface: Close to N80A to N80B. When            opening, lower surface: Close to N80A. Fully opened, upper            surface: Close to N81A to N81B; color becoming closer to            N82A with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to            N81B;        -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Four in a single whorl;            sepals fused about 25% of the length from the base. Length:            About 3 mm to 4 mm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Narrowly            ovate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster,            upper surface: Glabrous; matte. Texture and luster, lower            surface: Densely pubescent; matte. Color: When opening,            upper surface: Close to 138D. When opening, lower surface:            Close to 138C. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close            to 138C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 12.5 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm.            Aspect: Mostly upright. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: Close to 144A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 0.75 mm.            Aspect: About 45° from peduncle axis. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 177A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Two.            Filament length: About 8 mm. Filament color: Close to N81B;            towards the base, lighter than N81B. Anther shape: Double            reniform, narrow. Anther length: About 3 mm. Anther color:            Close to 72B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close            to 4D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:            About 7 mm. Stigma shape: Clavate. Stigma color: Close to            N81A. Style length: About 6.5 mm. Style color: Close to            N81A. Ovary color: Close to 144C.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been            observed on plants of the new Veronica.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Veronica have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Veronica    plants.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Veronica have exhibited good    garden performance and to be tolerant to rain, wind, high    temperatures about 35° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 4.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Veronica plant named ‘Allvglove’ asillustrated and described.